pertwk Chapter 26: The Shroud, Hell on Earth
Chapter 26: The Shroud, Hell on Earth
"No...no, that's absolutely not going to work!"
Luo Shaofeng snapped back to reality, gritting his teeth, his cheeks clenched so tightly that the veins on his forehead bulged. "We must find that shroud immediately. That thing is the key to sealing this severed finger. If we don't find it, the entire Jiangcheng will soon become a living hell."
Of course, there is another way, which is to have Su Nan stationed in this room at all times.
But is that realistic?
That's obviously not realistic.
"The interrogation room! Yes, the three tomb raiders in the interrogation room. No matter what method we use, we must pry them out of their mouths about the whereabouts of the missing shroud!"
Thinking of this, Luo Shaofeng turned and walked out, his steps quick and hurried.
Seeing that her captain had already left, Lin Luoxue clasped her hands in a smile and invited Su Nan to come along so she could see if she could help them.
Su Nan simply nodded, put his hands in his school uniform pockets, and then followed Lin Luoxue's graceful figure to the interrogation room.
The corridor of the interrogation area was filled with the smell of air freshener, mixed with the lingering odor of cigarette smoke from long-time smokers.
The bright incandescent lights overhead cast long shadows of the group.
With his hands in his school uniform pockets, Su Nan followed Luo Shaofeng to the door of the innermost interrogation room, walking at a leisurely pace.
As soon as I stood still, the iron gate in front of me made a screeching sound as it was pulled open from the inside.
Several police officers in uniform walked out dejectedly, their shoulders slumped, their eyes bloodshot, and the corners of their notebooks crumpled in their hands.
The elderly man at the very back had a pair of reading glasses perched on his nose. The lenses had slipped down to the tip of his nose, but he didn't bother to push them up. Instead, he raised his hand and rubbed his temples hard with his fingernails, his brows furrowed into a knot.
His steps betrayed his weariness, and behind him followed a young man in his late twenties, the top two buttons of his white shirt undone, clutching a black pen so tightly the barrel was almost broken by his knuckles.
He is Huang Yaopeng, the old man's apprentice.
"Old Pu, how is the situation?"
Luo Shaofeng took half a step forward, his voice barely concealing his anxiety, and asked again, "Did those three thieves confess? Did you find out where the shroud went?"
Old Pu put down his hand, slowly shook his head, his voice hoarse as if it had been ground into sand.
"No, these three are too stubborn and tight-lipped. We interrogated them for twenty-seven hours straight, but they insisted that they hadn't seen any shrouds since they came out of the cemetery. They wouldn't listen to reason. They just wouldn't listen to reason."
Old Pu sighed heavily and said wearily.
"The entire city of Jiangcheng is now at a critical juncture of life and death, with the lives of tens of millions of people hanging in the balance, and these three still dare to be stubborn."
Luo Shaofeng's jaw tightened instantly, his back teeth clenched so hard they made a grinding sound, and his fists clenched so tightly that his white knuckles were visible.
He stared at the tightly closed iron door of the interrogation room, his voice almost overflowing with anger.
He can't wait any longer, really!
Every second was torture for him.
"Captain Luo, don't panic."
Huang Yaopeng took half a step forward, his tone tinged with exhaustion from staying up all night, yet still brimming with confidence. "Captain Luo, give me and my master another day and night, and we'll definitely be able to pry anything out of them. Criminal psychology is a skill that takes time to develop; it can't be rushed."
"A day and a night?"
When Luo Shaofeng heard these words, his brows furrowed deeply. "By the time you finish, it'll be too late. Replace him."
Luo Shaofeng slowly shook his head, finding it hard to accept such a long time.
Every minute that passes now is a minute more dangerous; we must find out the whereabouts of the shroud immediately!
As soon as he finished speaking, Luo Shaofeng's gaze naturally fell on Su Nan beside him.
And on the other side,
Lin Luoxue and several other members of Bureau 749 also turned their gazes in unison, their eyes filled with fervent admiration.
It was like looking at an omnipotent god.
It seemed that as long as Su Nan nodded, there was nothing that couldn't be accomplished.
And speaking of which,
Following Lin Luoxue's gaze, Huang Yaopeng immediately looked at Su Nan.
His gaze was like a ruler, scrutinizing Su Nan from head to toe, taking her in completely.
First, he glanced at the faded blue and white school uniform, his brows furrowing involuntarily, before his gaze fell on Su Nan's hand.
Those fingers were clean and long, with no calluses on the fingertips; it was clear at a glance that they hadn't experienced much social life.
Only the second joint of the knuckle has a faint mark, which indicates that it was worn down by years of holding a pen in southern Jiangsu.
Looking at Su Nan's posture, it's loose and slouching, full of flaws.
Forget about having received professional training, they don't even have the aura of someone who's been in a position of power for years.
He is a typical student who hasn't even graduated yet.
"You don't mean to have him replace me and my master, do you?"
Huang Yaopeng's face darkened instantly, and he couldn't suppress his anger in his tone.
He felt that his and his master's professional skills, which they had built up over half a lifetime, had been trampled underfoot in public, which was an utter humiliation.
"Are you sure he's better than the two of us, master and apprentice?"
Huang Yaopeng asked in a low voice.
Luo Shaofeng completely ignored his questioning, not even giving him a second glance. He simply turned his head to look at Su Nan, speaking in a very soft tone, full of respect and earnestness.
"Brother Su Nan, are you good at interrogation? Could you please interrogate these three people yourself?"
Luo Shaofeng looked pleadingly at Su Nan.
And speaking of which,
Huang Yaopeng was left standing aside by Luo Shaofeng, who even ignored his questions.
In an instant, his face turned bright red; he was furious.
"My master is a top expert in interrogation and criminal psychology at the police academy, with countless students. Li Huimin from your municipal bureau is my master's personal disciple, my junior sister. How dare you question my master's expertise!"
Huang Yaopeng's voice suddenly rose in pitch.
If he were the only one here, perhaps he would try to accept it.
But now his master is right in front of him, and he's being publicly insulted and his professionalism is being questioned. How can a disciple swallow this insult?
Moreover, given his status and position, he had no idea about the existence of Bureau 749. He simply assumed that Luo Shaofeng and his group were ignorant and arrogant police officers from the Municipal Bureau.
He'd address him respectfully as Captain Luo, but if the two fell out, he'd take that title back.
Words,
at the same time,
At the corner at the other end of the corridor, Li Huimin, who had just changed into her police uniform, and her best friend Fan Kexin walked this way.
Hearing Huang Yaopeng's voice from afar made Li Huimin pause, tilt her head, and mutter with a puzzled look, "Huh, why do I think I heard my senior brother's voice?"
Fan Kexin raised an eyebrow, reached out and poked Li Huimin's arm, and teased her with a wink.
"Oh, I recognized your senior brother as soon as I heard his voice. You two have a special relationship, don't you? Be honest, do you like him?"
"nonsense."
Li Huimin slapped her hand away, shook her head, and showed no trace of girlish shyness on her face, only frankness.
He then added, "It's purely a bond between master and disciple; there wasn't even a hint of separation in our hearts."
My mentor only had two of his best students. He graduated a few years earlier than me, and he just took a little extra care of me.